Flangeway ctakd



Nov. 23 1926.

H. C. STIFF FLANGEWAY GUARD Filed August 11, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 filnesses:

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 23 1926.

H. c. STIFF FLANGEWAY GUARD Filed August 11, 1925 haent'oi":

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fitnesses:

Nov. 23 1926.-

H. -C. STIFF FLANGEWAY GUARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed August 11 1925 ligm ji'went'o flax/er C 577/7;

Witnesses:

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE,

FLANGEWAY GUARD.

Application filed August 11, 1925. Serial No. 49,558.

This invention relates 'to railway .t-racn structures and more particularly to flangeway guards for use at vehicular crossings and other pointswhere it is customary to pave or otherwise fill the space between the track rails up to approximately the level of the top of the track.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of flangeway guard having a removable head member which may be removed to permit free access to the base of the track rails for renewing or re-spiking the track rails without disturbing the paving between the rails.

Another object is to provide a novel form of guard having a head portion composed of a rolled shape and removably supported on a plurality of chairs which may be formed from cast steel, cast iron or malleable iron, thereby combining great strength with simple construction and a low cost of manufacture.

A further object is to provide a flangeway guard having the novel construction, de-

" sign and combination of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of track embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof and showing the paving between the rails.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevation through one track rail and guard.

.14 igure 1 is a plan view of one of the chairs.

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial side elevation showing an end section of the flangeway guard.

Figure (iris an enlarged transverse sectional elevation through a track rail and guard showing a slightly modified construction.

Figure 7 is a side elevation, and Figure 8 is a plan of the construction ofFigure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates the track structure as a. whole, whichis composed of the usual track rails 2, secured on the tiles 8 by spikes 4. Flangcway guards B are secured along the rails 2, and asphalt or other paving material 5 is filled in between the flangeway guards B up to approximately the level 01 the top face of the heads or" the rails 2 to form a crossing.

Heretofore it has been customary to maintain the paving or filling in spaced away relation to the track rails by the use of wood planks, old rails laid on their sides, and other makeshift devices which cause horses to be thrown by catching .the toe calks of their shoes in the grooves and under the head of track rails.' All of these devices had to be removed in order to renew or re-spike the trackrails. The removal of the planks or other binding members allowed the paving to crumble and break, and also was a more or less laborious task.

The flangeway guards B of this invention are permanent structures especially designed for their particular use and need not be removed when renewing or re-spiking the track rails, and therefore, eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art and provide a generally improved construction.

The flangeway guards B are composed of a top or head member 7 and supporting chairs 8.

The chairs 8 are in the form of an integral casting and comprise a base portion 9 adapted to'be supported on the track ties and to be secured in position by spikes 10 which pass through apertures 11 in the base 9, a body portion 12 having an undercut groove or slot 1 1 therein to receive a flange 15 of the head 7 having a locking head 16 along its free edge, and an integral supporting foot 17 projecting outwardly from the body portion 12. The foot 17 has its free end supported on the flange of the track rail and its upper face is adapted to engage and support the overhanging portion of the head of the guard.

The head portion as heretofore stated is preferably formed from a rolled shape and is provided'with the flange 15 and head 16- along one longitudinal edge and with a groove 19 adjacent its other edge forming a flangeway and with an outwardly pro jecting flange or lip20 alongits other longifiangeway: guardsrof t necessary tO IBIQOVQthG head portions {Thy sliding" the headiportions .longit u'din-ally to tudinal edge adapted to fit under the head of the track rail 2.

Suitable ears or lugs may also be pro vided on the base portions 9 of the chairs and suitablestrips23 of wood or metal (see Figures 3, 5, 6 and?) may be secured between the lugs and extend from chair to chair to form abutments for the paving if desired.

In Figures 6, 7, and 8 I have shown a slightly modified form of head 7 and chair 9 in which the body portion 12 of the chair is provided with a square horizontally undercut groove or slot 14c adapted to receive a portionzlo of the flangeilti, which portion 16 is bent :at substantially right angles to the vertical portion of the flange 15. The portion 16 is of'a materially less'vertical dimension than the undercut portion =01 the groove 1e and is adapted .to belocked in position a locking pin or wedge 52/5 which 'hasza head 26at'one end adapted to" engage the side-wall :of the chair and aspht portion '27 at its other end. The split portion 27 is adapted to be spread. orwbent to lock the pin in place.

If desired, in order to facilitate therei'roval of the head members 7,'the head portion 16 may be cut away at a point adjacent each'of'the chairs 9 as'indicated at 3:2,v so

that the head members need only be moved longitudinally .a comparatively short distance in order to release them from'the chairs. \Vhenthe cut away portions of the heads 16 register with the chairs the heads may be freely lifted out of position.

The flangeway guards B are adapted'to be made in comparatively short lengths of approximately six feet so that they may be conveniently used without bending on standard railway track curves, and all the sections areof duplicate construction except theend sections.

The end sections have theend chair omitted and the head portion '7 is fiattenedout and bent downwardly to form an inclined approach portion 29 which is provided with aspike'aperture .30 to receive a rail spike 31' which: is driven into a tie to hold the approach portion in position.

As stated before, it has heretofore been necessary to entirely remove the flangeway guards of the prior art in order to renew or re spike the: track rails, -while witl1:the invention sit is only pei lit free access to the "hase' of the; track rails for renewin gmr; IG SPIkLH'g- "the rails.

listurbeda and i much labor and ex- Je aregeliininated "l i ile iIlhave 'shown iand described. certain 'speeiiic einbodii entsrofi my: ime

tions will readily suggest themselves to those T forefthe pavingrbetweemthelrails' skilled in the art and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments of my invention shown and described, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope .of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In atrack structure the combination with a track rail, of a fiangewa-y guard havinga rigid supporting portion secured to the ties of the track structure and a head portionslidably moimted in a recess in said supporting portion and detachable therefrom so as :to "permit ready-access for renewing and spiking, the track rails,

2. In a track structure, thelcombi-nation withra-trackrail, of aflange-way guard comprising r a .plunality of supporting chairs secured. to thegtiesiofsthe track structure, said chairs each being provided with-airecess r extendingdownwardly efr'om: the Iupper face of thezchair and-having, its iower; endnnderout. and enlarged, andwa .rolled, steel head portion having a fiangeWay-igrooveadjacent one longitudinal edge and an g-ofiset head along. its opposite longitudinal edge adaptedito beengaged i-n theauidercut and enlarged portion. of said recesses in said chairs, and means for. supporting the overhanging portion of said head.

3. In a track structure the combination 'ivith aitrack rail, of a flangeway guard comprising a plurality of supporting :chairs secured to the ties of the track structure, said chairs each being provided with an inwardlyv enlarged recess Xtending downwardly from the upper face of the chair, and a'rolled steel. head portion hav ing a fiangeway groove adjacent one. longitudinal edge and an enlarged .headalong its opposite longitudinal edge. adapted to be engaged in said recesses in said chairs, and means forme'dintegral with said chairs for supporting. the overhanging .portion of said head.

4. In a track structure the combination with atrack rail, ofa fiangeway guard comp ising aplurality of supporting-chairssecured to the ties of the track structure, saic chairs each' being provided with an inwardly enlarged recess extending downwardly from the "upper face of-the chair, rolled steel head portion having an enlarged rounded head along its opposite longitudinal edge adapted; to he en'ga'gedin said recess s 'inx'saidchairs, insane :for: support- 7 ing the overhanging aportion of: said he and means extending between said 0 with ackirail;Sofga;ilangeway guard" rprrsn plurahtv ofsupportrng:claa

"cured-to (the tiesxrorsthe trackzstructure said chairs each being provided with an inwardg for; closing; the; space? between-said he ad: and

loo

1y enlarged recess extending downwardly from the upper face of the chair, a rolled steel head portion having an enlarged rounded head along its opposite longitudinal edge adapted to be engaged in said recesses in said chairs, means for supporting the overhanging portion of said head,

and means removably mounted between said chairs for closing the space between said head and the track bed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY C. STIFFQ 

